Margaret MacDougall

Christian, serving God in the workplace as
Medical Statistician (Senior Lecturer) and Researcher in Education

Jehovah-Nissi

[The Daily Spurgeon @dailyspurgeon]

[I]t will not do to sell principle, or to trifle with strict integrity and sterling truth in the smallest degree. Every jot and tittle has its intrinsic value.

[Diane Langberg, PhD @DianeLangberg]

We have thought our race, our community, our nation, and our way of thinking are superior, rather than seeking desperately to develop the mind of Christ about all things.

Anything that deflects the mind from the centrality of Jesus Christ and His cross is of the flesh.

[Margaret MacDougall @MargMacD]

Chairing 'Book Publication as a Scholarly Activity for Statisticians with Teaching-Focused Roles' @ 11.30 on Thurs 4 Sept. Andy Field, Nicola Rennie, Rhys Jones, and I to share publication experiences & answer Q's! @RoyalStatSoc @ProfAndyField @nrennie35 @minkywhales99

[Doreen Virtue @DoreenVirtue]

Positive affirmations and mantras as seen as a quick way to boost self-esteem. Women are told to repeat phrases like “I am enough” or “I am worthy” in order to replace negative self-talk with confidence.

These methods can feel comforting in the moment, especially if you’ve struggled with self-worth or have been deeply wounded by the words of others. Yet no matter how sincere your tone or how many times you repeat the words, they can never reach the deep spiritual need of your soul, because they’re built upon the shaky foundation of self instead of the unshakable truth of God’s Word.

I toured for two decades with the queen of positive affirmations, Louise Hay and other famous New Thought / New Age authors who used and promoted positive affirmations. Our personal lives were train wrecks. The positive affirmations that we wrote about didn’t work for us either. That’s because only Jesus can save someone’s soul, and transform their lives from the inside-out. This isn’t about material prosperity; this is about the only way to salvation and true and lasting peace.

At best, positive affirmations are like a band-aid on a deep wound. They may cover the surface, but they can’t cleanse or heal what’s beneath. The Bible tells us the truth about ourselves apart from Christ: that we’ve all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. That means our worthiness doesn’t come from looking inward and declaring our own goodness, but from looking upward to God, who has shown us His mercy through the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross.

When we build our sense of worth on who we are in ourselves, we’ll either fall into pride when life is going well or into despair when we fail. But when we are grateful for God’s grace and mercy in saving us and adopting us into His family, our identity in Christ remains secure no matter how we feel.

Affirmations that focus upon yourself will inevitably keep you circling around your feelings, your moods, your successes, and your failures. That’s a trap the enemy would love for you to stay in, because it keeps your eyes off of the Lord.

Scripture calls us to meditate on God’s Word, not on our own self-proclaimed worthiness. When David encouraged his own soul in Psalm 103, he didn’t repeat “I am enough” or “I am strong”; he said, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” The focus was entirely on who God is and what God has done.

True hope and lasting peace come when we shift our gaze from self-centered mantras to God-centered praise.

If you’ve been leaning on positive affirmations to carry you through hard days, I urge you to replace them with the promises of God’s Word. Instead of “I am worthy,” say, “God has loved me with an everlasting love.” Instead of “I am enough,” say, “The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.” Instead of “I am strong,” say, “The Lord is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” These aren’t empty words meant to conjure up a mood; they’re eternal truths spoken by the God who cannot lie, and they won’t fade when your feelings shift.

Please don’t settle for the shallow waters of positive affirmations. Step into the deep, living waters of God’s truth. Let His Word be the meditation of your heart, and you’ll find that your confidence rests not in who you are, but in who He is, and that’s a foundation that will never be shaken.

How to Avoid New Age & New Thought Deception https://t.co/UhkDmk9n0O

[YouVersion Bible App @YouVersion]

Luke 12:40

[Margaret MacDougall @MargMacD]

Looking forward to seeing high-quality, student-centric collaborative research ideas developing from this session

If the ideas in the abstract 👇resonate with you, we look forward to your participation in this free international session (0745 UTC; 0845 BST).

[@rosenetwork.bsky.social @RoSE_Network_]

💡#RoSE2025Conf Session Spotlight 💫 Developing an action plan for collaborative research 🔍

hosted by Margaret MacDougall, this session asks how can we address diverse experiences and overcome challenges?

Abstract ➡️ https://t.co/BVSidOpsKY
Register ➡️ https://t.co/cmBzIfTRfY

[@rosenetwork.bsky.social @RoSE_Network_]

Good news, researchers and educators in the #statisticalsciences! The RoSE 2025 e-conference registration has just opened up! Sign up for our free international conference happening July 31st here: https://t.co/cmBzIfTRfY

[Margaret MacDougall @MargMacD]

@shane_pruitt78 If we recognise it, it's a start and we can unite with those others who are praying for a fresh and genuine spiritual revival to take place before Christ returns.

[The Daily Spurgeon @dailyspurgeon]

We do well neither to boast in ourselves nor to place our reliance on the promises of our fellow-creatures; but we may wisely boast in the great “I AM,” and rest our souls securely upon his word and his love. He can neither change nor fail.

[Margaret MacDougall @MargMacD]

@reachjulieroys @gracetoyou Ecclesiastes 3

[Margaret MacDougall @MargMacD]

@expositcllctv These quotation marks inform your readers that John Piper actually said this. Can you provide verifiable evidence, please?

[Margaret MacDougall @MargMacD]

@expositcllctv Was that answer meant to address the question in the post?

[Margaret MacDougall @MargMacD]

@expositcllctv Well, that first guy got straight to the point.

[Margaret MacDougall @MargMacD]

@expositcllctv A fine preacher; thanks to @lwfministries for preserving and sharing his sermons

[Margaret MacDougall @MargMacD]

@chadhess09 That expression "leave their calling" is worthy of much discussion.

[@rosenetwork.bsky.social @RoSE_Network_]

We're getting ready our free July 31st conference, and our registration form will be dropping soon! Check out some conference details here and get excited for a whole day of statistics education research! #StatsED https://t.co/6rr6mC0x3s

[Margaret MacDougall @MargMacD]

@reachjulieroys If we are believing God for "great things", why ask human beings to provide the means? The very idea of us humans “releasing faith” is demonic. Authentic God-dependency necessitates that we rely on God to uphold our tried and tested faith. It is not ours for the releasing.

[Margaret MacDougall @MargMacD]

@PuritanGold I think that an important distinction is missing here between the concepts of sufficient condition and necessary condition. God tries the faith of His people.

[Expositors Collective @expositcllctv]

“We cannot organise revival, but we can set our sails to catch the wind from heaven when God chooses to blow upon His people once again.”

- G. Campbell Morgan

[Margaret MacDougall @MargMacD]

@expositcllctv What is missing today is an exposition of the love of God, leaving man to create humanised alternatives. Is it any wonder that the church is struggling so much to represent the Master? God is love.